Adhd

Medicating Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional

Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Carol Krueger

Kaplan University

Medicating Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional

Defiant Disorder (ODD)

The number of children being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has risen at a staggering rate (“Attention Deficit,” 2012). According to the CDC it is estimated that the number of children that have been diagnosed with ADHD is 5.2 million (“Attention Deficit,” 2012). In addition to the ADHD, 22.7% also have Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) which comes to around 1.2 million children (“Attention Deficit,” 2012). These children could pose a risk to the other students and teachers in schools. The reasoning behind this is that most children with ADHD and ODD are prone to violent and aggressive behavior. Parents of children with ADHD and ODD should be required to medicate their children or be seeking an alternative treatment plan as recommended by a physician in order to attend public school. Several factors play an important role as to why this should happen as well as the difficulties there would be in the implementation. They are the effects on teachers and students, the risks involved for non-treatment of these disorders, as well as, the controversy involved with the mainstreaming of children with disabilities. Parents also have other alternatives beside public schools.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often persists into adulthood (Mayo Clinic, 2012). ADHD includes a combination of problems such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior (Mayo Clinic, 2012). Children with ADHD also may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and poor performance in school (Mayo clinic, 2012).

Children who have ADHD are more likely to have other emotional disorders...